Each study has a usefulness score out of 100 (rubric version 4.0). Tap a score to see what makes it up.
Highest usefulness score first. Studies without a score come last.
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63/100
CIND is commonly associated with functional disability and a need for institutional care.
Why it matters
In a Canadian population survey of people aged 65 and over, 16.8% had cognitive impairment without dementia (CIND), more than the 8.0% with any type of dementia. People with CIND were about three times as likely as unimpaired people to be living in an institution (odds ratio 3.1), and the authors linked CIND to functional disability. The study measures how common the condition was at one point in time, so it cannot show what causes CIND, how many people with it later develop dementia, or how to treat or prevent it.
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62/100
Co-pathology is a common feature of neurodegenerative diseases that complicates diagnosis, treatment and clinical management.
Why it matters
This study describes a computer model using blood proteins to give a probable diagnosis across six conditions linked to dementia, with accuracy of 70-95% across conditions. The model also flagged patients with mixed pathologies and identified proteins behind its decisions, but it is a diagnostic tool rather than a treatment or cure.
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62/100
Disturbing dreams were reported by 24.2% overall and all-cause dementia, and AD incidence was 10.8 and 5.3 per 1000 person-years, respectively.
Why it matters
This cohort study found some evidence that disturbing dreams were associated with higher incidence of all-cause dementia among people aged 60 to 69 and with Alzheimer's disease among men. The mechanisms behind these associations remain unclear, and no significant effects were found for older individuals.
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Out of 929 patients, 184 (20%) experienced POD.
Why it matters
This cohort study developed an algorithm using preoperative data, surgical characteristics and postoperative laboratory changes that predicted postoperative delirium with high accuracy in internal validation. The authors suggest the algorithms may eventually become useful to support clinical decision-making.
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Over a maximum follow-up of 26 years, the median time to event was 1·2 years (IQR 0·2-3·3) in the delirium group and 1·3 years (0·3-3·6) in the control group.
Why it matters
In this UK Biobank cohort, delirium was linked to a higher risk of 12 of 15 adverse outcomes, and each additional delirium episode was linked to a 6-17% higher risk. The authors say delirium may act as a warning sign of longer-term vulnerability, but the study does not test whether preventing delirium prevents these outcomes.
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A total of 364 studies were identified using our search strategy on Ovid, 278 records were screened, and 20 studies were included in this review.
Why it matters
This review found that prior authorization for neurologic medications can cause delays in care and increased disease activity, and it creates burden for clinicians and administrators. It does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention for Alzheimer's disease, and it suggests reforms to prior authorization could improve access to medications.
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62/100
This study included 1526 early adult-life (mean [SD] age, 36.7 [4.7] years; 821 [53.8%] female), 1943 midlife (mean [SD] age, 54.0 [5.8] years; 1010 [52.0%] female), and 885 late-life (mean [SD] age, 71.0 [4.5] years; 473 [53.4%] female) participants.
Why it matters
In the Framingham Heart Study, higher physical activity in midlife and late life was associated with a lower risk of all-cause and Alzheimer's dementia, while early adult-life activity showed no association. This suggests that timing interventions during midlife and late life may help delay or prevent dementia.
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The MD is a scientifically supported dietary intervention with broad preventive and therapeutic benefits.
Why it matters
These national guidelines state that the Mediterranean diet has broad preventive and therapeutic benefits and recommend its integration into clinical practice and public health strategies. They do not report new trial results or show that the diet cures or prevents Alzheimer's disease.
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This meta-analysis highlights sleep management as a pivotal modifiable factor in reducing the risk of all-cause cognitive decline.
Why it matters
This meta-analysis of 76 cohort studies found that insomnia, short sleep duration, long sleep duration and excessive daytime sleepiness were associated with increased risks of cognitive decline and dementia. These are observational associations and do not show that treating sleep disorders prevents dementia.
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One hundred forty-nine carers enrolled in the study.
Why it matters
In this randomized controlled trial, a virtual iSupport program improved carers' mental-health-related quality of life, self-efficacy, and social support, and reduced distress and hospital admission rates for people with dementia at 12 months. The program showed benefits for both carers and people living with dementia.
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Among 13 592 participants (mean [SD] age, 58.34 [9.39] years; 7175 [52.8%] female), 6525 (48.0%) experienced possible childhood loneliness, and 565 (4.2%) reported childhood loneliness.
Why it matters
People who reported loneliness in childhood had faster cognitive decline and a higher risk of dementia in middle and later adulthood, even when they were not lonely as adults. The authors suggest that early interventions to reduce childhood loneliness might help support lifelong cognitive health, though this study cannot prove cause and effect.
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Of 736 patients (245 [33%] female, mean age 68·0 years [SD 11·2], median admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) 3 [IQR 1-5]), 557 (76%) were followed up until death or the end of the study, and 706 (96%) contributed to the PSD analysis.
Why it matters
In this prospective multicentre cohort of stroke patients, the 5-year risk of post-stroke dementia was linked to factors such as older age, stroke severity, atrial fibrillation, metabolic syndrome, and stroke recurrence, while acute reperfusion treatment was associated with a 65% lower risk. The findings identify risk factors and an associated treatment effect, but do not establish that reperfusion prevents dementia.
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A total of 5 721 711 patients (3 302 579 female and 2 419 132 male) with incident dementia between 2014 and 2021 were included in the study.
Why it matters
In this cohort study of 5,721,711 patients with incident dementia, male patients had higher mortality rates and higher use of many health care services, especially hospital stays, than comparable female patients, with an adjusted hazard ratio of death of 1.24 for male sex. It suggests strategies to slow mortality and decrease health care use among male patients may be impactful, but does not test any treatment, cure or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
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The intervention group showed less discomfort (-1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI] = -1.88 to -0.23) and fewer sentinel events (-0.40; 95% CI = -0.64 to -0.16), specifically pneumonia (-0.08; 95% CI = -0.14, -0.02).
Why it matters
This randomized controlled trial found that Namaste Care Family reduced discomfort and sentinel events, including pneumonia, in people with dementia, but there was no improvement in residents' quality of life or family's positive caregiving experiences. It addresses a care program for people with dementia and does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
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We aimed to conduct a cost-utility analysis of DREAMS START compared with treatment as usual (TAU).
Why it matters
Costs were slightly lower and quality-of-life gains were not significantly different for DREAMS START compared with treatment as usual, with a 78% probability of being cost-effective at a £20,000 per QALY threshold. This addresses cost and value of the sleep intervention, not whether it changes the course of dementia.
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A total of 1,979,509 participants (mean age, 49.0 years; 51.3% men; 50.7% with MetS) were included.
Why it matters
In a large Korean cohort, metabolic syndrome was associated with a higher risk of young-onset all-cause dementia, Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. The authors suggest interventions targeting metabolic syndrome may help reduce this risk, but the observational design prevents definitive causal conclusions.
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A total of 8870 cases of all-cause dementia were observed over a median 13.9-year follow-up.
Why it matters
In this cohort study, genetic and lifestyle risk scores for coronary artery disease were linked to a modestly elevated risk of all-cause dementia, with the risk largely attributable to vascular dementia; Alzheimer's disease showed a moderate association with the genetic score alone. The findings suggest that low lifestyle risk for coronary artery disease attenuated vascular dementia risk regardless of genetic risk, but they concern risk associations rather than treatment or cure.
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Evidence suggests that vegan and vegetarian diets, when well planned, can be rich in phytonutrients and antioxidants, which have been associated with lower levels of inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6).
Why it matters
This review says well-planned vegan and vegetarian diets may reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, which are linked to neurodegenerative diseases, but that deficiencies in vitamin B12, DHA, EPA and iron are consistently associated with increased risk of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disorders. It concludes that neurological effects depend on nutrient adequacy, with careful planning and supplementation needed.
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A total of 2603 men with nonmetastatic PCa (mean [SD] age, 69.6 [7.1] years) were followed up, and 1346 deaths were documented, including 356 (24.6%) from CVD and 197 (14.6%) from PCa.
Why it matters
This study is about race, ethnicity, lifestyle, diet and survival in men with prostate cancer and contains no information on Alzheimer's disease. It reports no findings relevant to treating, curing or preventing dementia.
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< 0.001] total scores differed significantly between groups, with controls (median MoCA 28.5, 95% CI 28.0-29.0; median MMSE 30, 95% CI 30.0-30.0) outperforming prodromal (median MoCA 26, 95% CI 23.0-27.0; median MMSE 29, 95% CI 27.5-29.5) and symptomatic (median MoCA 20.5, 95% CI 17.0-24.0; median MMSE 26, 95% CI 23.5-29.0) carriers.
Why it matters
This study found the Montreal Cognitive Assessment distinguished presymptomatic genetic frontotemporal dementia carriers from controls while the Mini-Mental State Examination did not, and showed better discriminative ability overall. It is about cognitive screening for frontotemporal dementia, not about treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
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Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are increasingly being used to treat diabetes and obesity.
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Of 9,361 randomized participants, 7,221 (77%) were eligible to be re-contacted.
Why it matters
Intensively lowering systolic blood pressure below 120 reduced the combined outcome of mild cognitive impairment or probable dementia, but the reduction in probable dementia alone was not statistically significant. This suggests tighter blood pressure control may help prevent milder thinking problems in people with hypertension, though it did not clearly prevent dementia by itself.
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Many studies have explored whether individual plasma protein biomarkers improve cardiovascular disease risk prediction.
Why it matters
This study investigated whether a blood protein-based approach can predict cardiovascular diseases and dementia. It is about prediction, not about treating, curing, or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
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Although current prevention and treatment approaches to dementia have been less than optimally successful, substantial investments in dementia research will undoubtedly provide new answers to reducing the burden of dementia worldwide.
Why it matters
This review states that no randomized clinical trial data conclusively confirm that any intervention can prevent dementia. It notes that some Alzheimer drugs modestly slow decline in mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia, and that behavioral symptoms are best managed without psychotropic medications.
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A total of 1780 major operations (representing 9 556 171 survey-weighted operations nationally) were identified from 1477 community-living participants; mean (SD) age was 79.5 (7.0) years, with 56% being female.
Why it matters
This study estimated hospital readmission rates after major surgery among community-living older adults. It found higher readmission rates among those with probable dementia, which identifies a risk factor for surgical recovery rather than a treatment, cure or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
From across this topic
10 of the 7,967 studies in this topic, picked by a fixed rule (a hash of each study's address), not by score or date; each page of this list shows a different 10. The same 10 appear here every time.
- Colorectal Cancer: Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Public Health Strategies
- Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Pre-Dementia Syndrome
- Unraveling disparities in county‐level dementia diagnosis prevalence across the United States
- Assessment of heart rate deceleration capacity, heart rate deceleration runs, heart rate acceleration capacity, and lipoprotein-related phospholipase A2 as predictors in individuals with dementia
- Abnormality of gait as a predictor of non-Alzheimer's dementia
- "Did I buy that just now?" – Investigating factors influencing the accuracy of food choice self-reports in a simulated online grocery store
- Diet and risk of dementia: Does fat matter?: The Rotterdam Study
- Purpose in life is associated with mortality among community-dwelling older persons
- Psychiatric complications of treatment with corticosteroids: review with case report
- Cost-utility of a new psychosocial goal-setting and manualised support intervention for independence in dementia (NIDUS-Family) versus goal setting and routine care: an economic evaluation embedded within a randomised controlled trial